Anxiety Relief in a Jar

Anxiety relief in a jar - fresh lemon balm infused in water. So simple. So effective. And so enjoyable to drink. I'm always looking for ways to tame my anxiety. I've had it for my whole life, and seem to be struggling with managing my anxiety more lately. I've tried a couple of traditional prescriptions, and strongly disliked how I felt while taking them. Now I have embraced herbal medicine, and have found a big plant ally in lemon balm. I pack a quart glass jar with fresh lemon balm, cover it with filtered water, and let it sit on ...

Cocktails for a Crowd

Here's an easy way to serve cocktails for a gathering. Make a big batch of the cocktail you plan to serve, and divide it up among the guests' glasses. Add the garnish - in this case, red celery that has been chopped small to float around in each drink, and a pretty stalk for an edible swizzle stick. When each guest is ready for their cocktail, all you have to do is add ice. For our recent monthly summer potluck with our neighbors, our theme was Peruvian food - in honor of two neighbors headed to Peru in a few ...

Lavender & Rosemary Sidecar

Lavender and rosemary are an herbal combo powerhouse, and elevate the flavor of this Lavender & Rosemary Sidecar to a whole new level. I have been on an herbal simple syrup kick. In the beginning of my gartending career, I infused garden flavors directly into the liquor. I still do. But I found out that I was amassing too many odds and ends. I like to invent and try some new cocktail possibility before all of the last one has been finished. Good thing the infused spirits have a long shelf life. Herbal simple syrups don't. They need to be ...

Happy Herbal Water

Happy Herbal Water - one of my favorite non-alcoholic drinks to create and enjoy. This colorful collection of alpine strawberries, edible gem marigolds, basil mint, lime slices, and lime bitters came together for a recent sunny morning business meeting out in our garden of edibles.
I was very generous with my dashes of homemade lime bitters. Refreshing, good for your digestion, and visually appealing. This herbal water delivered happiness in a glass.

Flowers of Summer Amaro

This Flowers of Summer Amaro is my my most colorful herbal infusion to date. I decided to go for a floral flavor with this bittersweet amaro, and highlight all the edible flowers flourishing in our summer garden. The thyme was in bloom. the red mustard keeps trying to go to seed, and the alpine strawberries begged to be included.
I cruised the garden for blooming edibles, and included the following in my vodka base:
alpine strawberries
anise hyssop
borage
calendula
gem marigolds - lemon and paprika
lavender
lemon balm
monarda
nigella
red mustard
rugosa rose
thyme
violas
I'll be tasting this Flowers of Summer Amaro every few days during its' first week of infusing - ...

Arnold Palmer – The Drink

Something simple and enjoyable to drink for the summer - an Arnold Palmer drink. It couldn't be easier. Half tea and half lemonade is the basic recipe for this non-alcoholic refresher.
Use any tea you favor - green, black, rooibos, or herbal. I used an herbal tea with nettle, oatstraw, red clover and mint. For the lemonade, I squeezed a small lemon, added some mint simple syrup I had in the fridge, and some water. Any citrus juice would be dandy - orange, grapefruit or lime. A big sprig of tarragon was my garnish. Rosemary, thyme or mint would be grand ...

Lemon Balm Elixir

This Lemon Balm Elixir is a divine drink to your health. Lemon balm, borage leaves, and fresh lemon enjoy a long soak in brandy and local honey. Lemon balm, a member of the mint family, is known for many medicinal qualities - an herbal remedy for heart disease, heartache, depression, anxiety, and even viral and bacterial infections. Above all, lemon balm has enchanting flavor. The borage leaves add a hint of cucumber, and its' edible flowers are a knock-out garnish in a garden cocktail. I like to sip Lemon Balm Elixir by the small glassful. I've tried using it as ...